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Benny and Jet have been adopted, but we have other juvenile aquatic red-eared slider turtles currently in the Baltimore and York area. They can be adopted together or separately. For now, a 20 gallon "long" aquarium or large Rubbermaid tote would be good for them, but in a year or so they'll need a larger tank. Eventually they'll each need at least a 55 gallon aquarium, or larger if kept together. We can't tell if they're male or female because they're too small. Once they reach about 4" in shell length, we should be able to tell. Keep in mind that adult sliders don't always get along, so they might not be able to be kept together as adults.
Maryland residents must have a DNR permit to keep a turtle under 4", but the permit is easy to get and costs only $25 a year. Once the turtles are 4", you won't have to renew the permit.
Sliders grow to be 6-12" long, and can live 20-50 years. Males stay smaller than females. They can live indoors in large aquariums (at least 55 gallons for a single adult male slider) or, if outside, in FENCED-IN backyard ponds of at least 300 gallons (to allow for hibernation). They eat commercial turtle or koi pellets, and also like aquatic plants, so a slider is not for you if you want to keep expensive water lilies. Some people build underwater plant corrals to protect their lilies while still having aquatic turtles. A slider might take a fish or two, but usually sliders and fish learn to co-exist, especially if you have underwater hiding areas for the fish and/or turtles.
Request an adoption application from matts_adoptions@hotmail.com
There is NO ADOPTION FEE, but adopters must explain how they will house and care for the turtle(s)
Please include your city and state when contacting MATTS.
PLEASE HELP OTHER TURTLES by spreading the word - baby turtles grow into big turtles! They do not stay small - they do not grow to the size of their enclosure! Please don't buy hatchling turtles at vacation tourist spots.
Like turtles but can't have one? Want to help? MATTS accepts tax-deductable donations at MATTS, P.O. Box 22321, Baltimore, MD 21203. We placed over 100 unwanted, abandoned, and displaced turtles in 2008!
